The current conventional Western medical practice for management of arthritis and other soft tissue injuries includes the administration of steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by topical application, orally or by injection into the affected areas of the patient.
Steroids, such as the corticosteroids, often have undesirable side effects such as the promotion of peptic ulcers, increased susceptibility to infection, mental irritability, nervousness, obesity, muscular weakness, osteoporosis, diabetes, and adrenal insufficiency which, in some cases, may cause the patient to collapse.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs generally have a less debilitating effect on patients. However, they are not without side effects. Stomach disorders, gastric pain, diarrhoea, dizziness or light headiness, stomach or duodenal ulcers and long term blood loss have all been reported in patients treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Where the ant-inflammatory drugs have been administered topically, further difficulties such as skin irritation, odor and staining may also be experienced.
Most commercially available topical preparations for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders contain methyl salicylate as the active ingredient, but methyl salicylate is a toxic drug which can be lethal in large doses and it is possible that such large lethal doses may be attained by absorption through the skin.
The administration of gold has also been promoted in the management of arthritis. However, side effects have been reported in patients receiving gold administration including toxic hepatitis, renal failure, deafness, skin rashes and various blood disorders.
It is therefore desirable to provide a method of treatment of musculoskeletal and neural disorders which alleviates or ameliorates at least some of the difficulties associated with current treatment regimes.
Traditional Chinese remedies for the treatment of soft tissue injuries such as sprains and swellings, particularly of the ankles, include the packing of raw salt extracted from seawater around a painful or swollen joint. The application of the salt reduces the pain and swelling in many cases.
Further, acupuncturists postulate that there are three dimensional ribbon-like structures called meridians which are embedded in the body and join the acupuncture points. These meridians are postulated to be present in all mammals. It is postulated further that there is a flow of energy, possibly electromagnetic energy, flowing through these meridians and if, for any reason, this flow of energy is disrupted, disease will occur. By re-establishing the energy flow, the pain and inflammation which are often associated with neural and musculoskeletal injuries or disorders, and attributable to a disruption of the flow of energy through the meridians, can be reduced and thus aid in the eventual healing process.